Angela Whicher

2L, University of Minnesota Law School

I wanted to be involved in the Humanity Project because I think it's vital to bring a voice to those incarcerated during the COVID-19 outbreak. Personally, I had a hard time navigating through COVID-19, so it was difficult for me to imagine the experience of someone confined in jail away from one's family. I spoke with pregnant mothers, fathers, sons, and brothers. Their concerns and requests did not seem unreasonable to me. Rather, they seemed like basic human rights. They wanted information about coronavirus and for the jail to answer their questions. They wanted paper towels and soap to wash their hands. They wanted their masks to get washed. They wanted to be able to social distance. They wanted to get tested and have a quarantine system in place. However, uniformly, people who are incarcerated to not have those privileges. My hope for this project is to make the general public more aware of the reality of being in jail during COVID-19 and to bring a voice to those that have experienced it.